A New iPhone Fashion Shoot To Silence The Haters

I released The iPhone Fashion Shoot back in July of 2010 thinking that it would be a fun way to prove a simple point (that people can create compelling images with any camera). I never thought 1, that the video would become so huge and 2, that 50% of everyone who saw it would totally miss the point. Half of the comments made on my video are about my expensive studio lights, professional model, professional hair, makeup, and retouching. People still didn't want to admit that they were capable of taking great shots on whatever gear they had.

Still to this day I get emails all the time where people suggest that I do another iPhone Fashion Shoot outside with natural light and without a professional model but I was never interested. I really don't want to become known as the "iPhone photographer" and these videos are a lot of work to produce.

Well I just got an email from Pye at SLR Lounge and he did all of the work for me! Pye takes a normal girl outside and uses 2 reflectors to create stunning images... It does not get any more simple than this... The point has now officially been made. No more excuses people.

98 Comments

But Pye, that girl is totally wearing a fancy dress. I bet her outfit was way more than $30. And what about that free bag you got to hold your iPhone? We don't get free bags so we have no where to put our phones. And you have the ocean and it would cost me hundreds of dollars to fly to a large body of water with a model and 2 assistants.

Ahh, but Lee, the dress was actually purchased from a local thrift store. They had a "Designer Clothing $.99 Value Menu." Ocean, what ocean, I thought I blew out the entire background, there should definitely not be an ocean =) As for the free bags, yeah, you got me there. It's too bad pants don't come with pockets anymore...

I guess people can always find an "excuse" for everything. Hopefully, with your iPhone Photo Shoot and with this one, people will finally realize that photographers create images, not cameras. All it takes is the desire to learn, experiment and to stick with it until you arrive.

Patrick and Lee, you guys are an inspiration to us. Keep up the great work!

Seeing you post this makes me think of the most recent development in the presidential birth certificate debacle. Now that he's released the real thing, people are saying it's photoshopped. There was an interesting article about this here:http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney
It talks about no matter how much evidence you give people, it just makes their disbelief stronger.

I don't think it's the fact that people have a problem with an iPhone as a legit camera I think its more of the fact of control and knowing what you are doing with a camera. Any idiot can take a snapshot of something, it takes skill and a certain eye for things to take a photograph.

Yeah, shooting at f/1.2 etc. will wax and wane in popularity, as will all the fashion trends, post-processing trends, etc. The timeless images usually involve FAR less geekiness than you will find on any of the random forums out there.

Yes, Irving Penn probably knew his camera inside and out, and that is what helped him create the print quality that does indeed help make his work breathtaking when viewed in person. But still, what MAKES the image is always the SUBJECT itself, plus the LIGHT, the POSE, and if necessary the TIMING. (For all you "decisive moment" Cartier-Bresson fans out there, who don't go for the fashion model stuff...)

Sure, you can argue on and on about how Annie shoots the queen with a Hasselblad, and how so-and-so shoots with this or that. But I could also go on about guys like Galen Rowell, Gary Winogrand, etc. who often used the cheapest gear they could get their hands on, and some who barely even knew how to operate a camera and yet they go down in history as some of the greatest photographers ever.

The bottom line for me is that I do enjoy geeking out, but at the same time I know when to shut up and just take pictures...

doesn't count, the iphone 4 camera is wayy good. (just kidding, i just wanted to be "that guy" that nitpicks everything). you guys have a great point, it's 100 percent the photog and not the camera, but people will always have gear envy and thing that gear makes the photog. kudos

I've spoken with many amateur photographers recently and its really interesting to me how many of them feel that since they "understand" their camera (how aperture and SS or how to edit RAW files) that they are some how better photographers than those who don't.

That is like saying "I am better at piano than you because I can read music." Perhaps you are, but I would sure like to hear you both play before I decide that for myself. Many of the best musicians in the world can't read music. And many of the best photographers in the world are the least technical when it comes to gear.

In my opinion (and the opinion of everyone who will ever pay you for your work) it's about the finished image. Nobody cares how you got it.

The message was clear to me in the first video and I really enjoyed it. This video was also great getting the point across but for me it was much more. The locations brought back memories of where I spent a large part of my life. Thanks for creating this and sharing it with all of us.

I smell another iPhone video coming up - professional (non-photog) model shooting professional photog with an iPhone and found light accessories in a boring NJ location. Any takers? Nicely nicely done though. Now they will say - but you are expert in post and you did do post. So.... fun.